Riyad Mahrez: Is the Leicester City Galactico undervalued?

In today’s footballing climate, players are bought and sold for astronomical amounts of money. However, one player still seems undervalued by the current market. Are Leicester City right to hold out for more money for Riyad Mahrez?

There has been plenty of speculation over a potential move for Mahrez away from the King Power Stadium, but so far, no team has met Leicester’s valuation of the player. Members of the football media and fans on social media seem to have decided that Mahrez is worth between £40 – 50 million.

However, when Virgil van Dijk is sold for £75 million, and Gylfi Sigurdsson is bought by Everton for upwards of £40 million, the Foxes’ star man could be worth more than his current value. Mahrez has been a crucial member of a Premier League title winning side and won the PFA Players and Fans’ Player of the Year awards in 2015-16.

The Algerian had 28 goals and assists that season, and despite a dip in form last season that coincided with the entire Leicester squad’s poor performance, he has bounced back this year. Through 22 league starts this season, Mahrez has produced seven goals and seven assists – only seven players in the entire league have more combined goals and assists this campaign – while no non-Manchester City player has provided more assists than the Leicester winger.

Make no mistake, Mahrez is having an outstanding campaign in difficult circumstances following the breakdown of a move away from Leicester City last summer, and his value should only be going up. Sigurdsson was a more limited player than Mahrez and hadn’t proven as much as the Algerian – who has produced stellar performances in the Champions League too – but both players are touted at the same price.

There has been a lot of talk that Mahrez’s constant links away from the Foxes have lowered his price, but van Dijk had a very public transfer tug-of-war during the summer, and Southampton still managed to get £75 million for the centre-back.

In England alone, Chelsea and Arsenal are desperately in need of a forward like Mahrez – someone who can create and score goals – while Liverpool have been strongly linked with the Algerian to replace Philippe Coutinho.

There should be no lack of suitors for Mahrez, who can play through the middle and out wide. He has produced in counter-attacking systems and ones that depend more on retaining possession.

"Leicester themselves seem to agree, Claude Puel said Monday: “We can see Riyad smiling and enjoying his football and enjoying playing with his team-mates and it is the same in training.“All the rumours and speculation about Riyad, do the reporters want him to leave the club?“It is speculation and we cannot respond to all the speculation with information.“Perhaps, in the summer he will cost even more than £100m.”"

£100 million might be a stretch, but the way the market is going, you would think that few would want to argue against the French manager. Mahrez is just 26-years-old and is approaching his prime years as a footballer, meaning it could be wise for a club to spend on him now.

Next: Riyad Mahrez won’t leave Leicester City in January, hints Claude Puel

However, until that happens, Leicester City will continue to reap the rewards of having Mahrez on their books and carry on their charge up the table. The Foxes next face Fleetwood Town on Tuesday in a replay of their FA Cup third round tie before they host Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.